A local team of youth golfers became national champions over the weekend as Team Texas won the 11th PGA Jr. League Championship at the PGA of America headquarters in Frisco.
The competition featured teams of players 13 years of age or younger representing 12 states across the country, and the eight-player team from Farmers Branch’s Brookhaven Country Club knocked off Team Utah (from Lehi’s Thanksgiving Point Golf Club) to win the title.
“It’s our Super Bowl,” Team Texas coach and Brookhaven Country Club lead teaching professional Joey Anders told NBC 5 DFW. “It’s as good as it gets for us. We’re extremely happy. I couldn’t be prouder of this team.”
The tournament’s first two days consisted of various scrambles and match play to help determine which four teams would advance to the semifinals, and Texas, Utah, Illinois, and Florida prevailed.
Texas, which finished second in qualifying, was matched up with three-seed Illinois in the semifinals and moved on to the championship with a 7.50-4.50 win. Utah and Florida tied 6.00-6.00, but Utah advanced on the tiebreaker.
PGA Jr. League competitors play nine-hole rounds, and each match involves both two-person scrambles and head-to-head match play. During match play, the course is divided into three flags — one for every three holes– and teams are awarded points based on performance.
The league generally holds its season from March until December, with divisions for 13u (13 or younger) and 17u (ages 14-17).
The 17u division plays its inaugural national championship at Twin Warriors Golf Club in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico, in November.
Farmers Branch is one of six cities with teams competing in both championships along with Blaine, Minnesota; Lemont, Illinois; Dulles, Virginia; Orlando, Florida; and San Jose, California. They will be joined by South Jordan, Utah; Kansas City, Kansas; Louisville, Kentucky; Farmington, New York; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Clemmons, North Carolina.
